How do you avoid making a cliché? | MIKE DAVIS

25/02/2011 Comments Off on How do you avoid making a cliché? | MIKE DAVIS

How do you avoid making photographs that are clichés? Chances are that you can’t, at least not completely.

Let’s start with a list of THE TOP 10 CLICHéS*

1. People with an illness, especially children
2. Twofer: Portraits of people with their arms crossed; portraits of people holding portraits of people who are most likely dead.
3. Photos of the odd person out (Anyone who is outside the norm. I realize that this puts most journalistic photography into cliché land. And it is.)
4. Cowboys or Native Americans
5. Twofer #2: Photos of strippers or the homeless
6. Photos of famous people
7. Photos not made in your home country
8. Photos of anyone in any type of uniform
9. Twofer #3: Silhouettes or photos of the backs of people
10. Photographs that include window reflections